ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES  February 5, 2001 5:35 p.m. COMMITTEE CALENDAR    PRESENTATION: CONDITION OF THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST ROADS AND CULVERTS IN REFERENCE TO FISH AND GAME. TAPES  01-06, SIDE A CALL TO ORDER  REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY WILSON, Co-Chair, reconvened the House Special Committee on Fisheries meeting at 5:35 p.m. [The minutes for HB 61 are found in the 5:02 p.m. minutes for the same date.]    PRESENT  Committee members present were Representatives Stevens, Wilson, Scalzi, Dyson, Coghill, Kapsner, and Kerttula. Also present was Representative Chenault.   SUMMARY OF INFORMATION    KEN TAYLOR, Director, Division of Habitat & Restoration, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, discussed the importance of this issue and how the department has been working on it for the last five years. The department began the process on the Tongass and is studying the design of the culverts, velocity of the water, and the angle of the pipes. He then responded to questions asked by committee members. LANA FLANDERS, Southeast Regional Supervisor, Division of Habitat Restoration, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, explained the division's involvement and their co-operation with the U.S. Forest Service and summarized the information that was provided in the report they produced in June 2000, entitled "Tongass Road Condition Survey Report." She then responded to questions from committee members. DICK AHO, Tongass Fish Biologist, U.S. Forest Service, explained that "they" [U.S. Forest Service] agree with this report ["Tongass Road Condition Survey Report"] and that "they" have completed 90 percent of the 3,600 roads that are in the Tongass. He said that the U.S. Forest Service is currently working towards removing culverts. He further explained that those culverts with the greatest amount of habitat would be repaired first. He then responded to questions from committee members. LARRY MESHEW, Tongass Fish/Wildlife Watershed Staff Officer, explained how "they" have always been concerned with fish passage issues and are focusing on the design of the culverts. He then responded to questions from the committee members.   JAN KONIGSBERG, Director, Trout Unlimited, made corrections to the handout he passed out last week. He explained that Trout Unlimited believes that "we" need to repair the roads "we" have now before building new ones. He also said that work should not be limited to roads in the Tongass since there are many roads throughout the state with this same problem. He then responded to questions from the committee members. ERROL CHAMPION, Silver Bay Logging, Inc., explained that his company put in some of the culverts that are being referred to. He explained that when these culverts were put in, they were put in under one standard and now they are using different standards. He then went on to say that all the blame couldn't be placed on timber harvesting. He then responded to questions from the committee members.   ANNOUNCEMENTS  On February 12, at 3:00 p.m., there will be a tour of the DIPAC hatchery facility. COMMITTEE ACTION  The committee took no action. ADJOURNMENT  CO-CHAIR WILSON adjourned the House Special Committee on Fisheries meeting at 6:46 p.m. NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3, Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Second Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.